New Yorkers vying for spot as next Sports Illustrated swimsuit model

Three New Yorkers hope to make a splash in next year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Tabria Majors, Michelle Vidal and Allie Ayers are among the 15 women vying for a coveted spot in the iconic issue after more than 5,000 hopefuls sent in their submissions over Instagram earlier this year during the magazine's first-ever open casting call.

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In May, Sports Illustrated narrowed that original field of thousands down to 35 women, who each traveled to Brooklyn for a second casting call to meet with the magazine's editor, conduct interviews and slip into bikinis for photoshoots.

That group has since been cut down to 15, and they'll be in Miami next week for Miami Swim Week to premiere a brand new line of Sports Illustrated Swim and Active Wear clothing during a runway show on July 22.

Allie Ayers is one of the 15 finalists to make the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. (Taylor Ballantyne/Sports Illustrated Swimsuit)

They'll also kick off the SWIMMIAMI week with a party on July 20 to showcase the SI brand's influence on the swimwear field and celebrate the body positivity movement.

The next step will be for Sports Illustrated to select at least one of the 15 remaining women to appear in next year's issue.

Majors, 34, Vidal, 27, and Ayers, 24, will each be on hand for the Miami festivities. Ayers lived in New York when she entered the contest, but has recently moved to Oklahoma.

The magazine's editor, MJ Day, says they decided to open the competition to the public last spring because they knew plenty of talented candidates existed outside the modeling industry.

"We decided to hold an open casting call this year because, while we cast the bulk of our models through the traditional avenues of modeling agency submissions, it is very clear to us that there are plenty of exceptionally interesting and beautiful women in the world that exist outside of 'industry expectations,'" Day explained in an interview with Sports Illustratedin May. "By creating an opportunity for women to submit their own casting video on their own terms, we hope to find an undiscovered star."

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While the woman selected to appear in the magazine won't be technically replacing anyone, at least one big-name Sports Illustrated model could potentially leave a vacancy. SI alum Hannah Jeter is currently expecting her first child with Yankees legend Derek Jeter.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue typically comes out every February, though a release date for the 2018 edition has not been announced.